THE LATE NIGHT BITE

Written by: Dekkel Bachar

Wake up in the morning ready to seize the day and finally commit to your plan to eat healthy, something you promised yourself you would do as a new year’s resolution back in 2011. Granted, you do have a nice heathy breakfast, a hearty lunch and a satisfying dinner, but for some reason, almost like some sort of weird food voodoo once 10:30 hits you throw that progress away and reach for that last slice of chocolate cake in the fridge just screaming your name.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone! This article is going to analyze why you’re having these cravings and by the end you’ll have a few tips and tricks to get rid of this bad habit once and for all!

So, why does everything seem like it tastes infinitely better at night?

There are a number of reasons actually. The main cause of late night snacking is boredom. Usually, the urge comes on when you’re sitting on the couch watching one of the Kardashians cry about god knows what, and let’s be real- you can only be entertained by that whining for so long. And if you’re not trying to entertain and distract yourself from the monstrosity that is late night reality TV, that Wendy’s commercial between episodes sure as hell has you thinking about dipping some fries into a nice cold Frosty. Which, by all means, good for the advertisers because they are really doing a great job with their marketing tactics. I can’t get through one of those commercials without thinking how nice it would be to tackle a nice fat burger. Procrastination is another key reason for those late night cravings. Have work to do but reealllyyyy don’t want to do it? If you’re anything like me your thought process probably sounds a little like this: “okay, so I have work to do but I can’t do it while eating because it’ll distract me, so I’ll eat THEN do my work.” Then, through no fault but your own, about an hour later you’re nearly getting to the third row of Oreos, fist deep in some cookie dough ice cream.

* Sigh * why does bad food have to taste so good.

Another reason for the late night munchies could include emotional eating. Since these guilty pleasures release ‘happy hormones’ which are temporary, we tend to turn to them for comfort.

So what really is the problem with late night eating?

Simply put, the later you eat, the harder it is going to be for your body to properly metabolize your food. Generally, in the evening your body goes into ‘autopilot’ meaning its maintaining itself, but it’s definitely not helping you burn the energy you are consuming at the rates it would when you’re up and alert during the day. In turn, your body will store the fats you eat. Not only that but you will also likely have trouble sleeping, since you’ve filled your body up with the extra energy.

Now I’ve got you thinking. So, how do we get rid of this bad habit?

TIPS TO GET RID OF LATE NIGHT SNACKING

Tip #1

Chew on some gum. The flavour will satisfy you and the constant chewing will trick your body into thinking its munching.

Tip #2

Keep yourself busy. If you don’t already, find yourself a hobby! Leisurely activities that require more concentration can distract you from the idea of grabbing a late night bite.

Tip #3

Take a shower. Or do something that doesn’t involve a screen, a remote and a couch.

Tip #4

Get active. I get it, nobody wants to go for a run in the middle of the night, but you can totally do 25 crunches, a one-minute plank or 3 sets of 10 push-ups. Physical activity will help combat your unnecessary ‘need’ for food at that moment.

Tip #5

If you do need to eat- find yourself a healthy snack.

But if you NEED that little bit of junk food, whatever you do- do NOT take the entire bag of chips with you, pour some into a small bowl (everything in moderation, right?)

Tip #6

o to bed. If you can’t seem to shake the craving but know you don’t need the extra calories simply shut your body off and reset for the next day.

So now that we’ve got a bit of an idea as to why we get these late night fixes and ways to shake that devil off our shoulders, we can finally commit to fulfilling that new year’s resolution from 2011.

January 1st, the day resolutioners decided that today is their day. It is the day they can hit the virtual reset button and finally start that diet, join the gym or build that hammock in their backyard that has been sitting in the box since Christmas of ’09. The start of the year is when gym owners become the real life version of the money eyes emoji and will likely make enough money to cover their yearly rent.

But let me ask you this, what is so special about January first? Find out here.

Finding time to work out with a busy schedule can be hard and honestly, it’s such a pain. Let Ankanee take the stress off by scoring you these quick and easy tips and tricks guaranteed to keep your tummy flat year round. Read up on them here.

Many people think that working out is a struggle if you don’t have a gym or any sort of cardio equipment. Dekks is here to prove that wrong! She's about to give you two circuits you can do with minimal to no equipment so that you can keep up with your routine and maintain your ideal physique even when you’re not home (or are at home and are too lazy to leave the house!). Catch them here.

One is company, two’s a crowd, three’s a party. Yup, that sounds about right. If you’re anything like me, the second you get to the gym your headphones go in and you shut the world out. That hour in your day is your sacred ‘me time’ and if anybody thinks about bothering you they’ve got another thing coming.

That being said, I do have a select few friends that I don’t mind hitting a workout with.

So, what makes the perfect workout partner? We’re going to explore the best traits you should look for when searching for your new pal here!